Scenic effect.



DE WITT H. LEAS.

SCENIC EFFECT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1908.

901,354. Patented Oct. 20, 1908. I

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DE WITT H. LEAS, OF DELAWARE, OHIO.

SCENIC EFFECT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed January 8, 1908. Serial No. 409,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WITT H. LEAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Scenic Effects, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of scenic effects of that classwhich are adapted for use in secret societies, theatrical productionsetc., and the objects of my invention are to provide a mechanismembodying automatic means for producing the effect on the eye of theobserver o'f the flight of a ball or body of fire descending throughspace and to produce certain improvements in details of construction andarrangement of parts which will aid in completing the illusion and whichwill be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplishin the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a central vertical section of my improved device, Fig. 2 is a frontview thereof, Fig. 3 is a plan view, Fig. 4 is an enlarged centralsection of the fire ball or body, and, Fig. 5 is a detail sectional viewillustrating the manner of connecting the supporting wire with aninflammable cord section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a casing or housing 1, theforward side of which is open as shown. This casing or housing which maybe formed of wood or other suitable material, is provided with a lining2 of metal or other non-inflammable material. At the base of the housing1 in rear and at one side thereof, I provide a channel-like extension 3which is designed to support the desired number of electric batteries 4and likewise to support a suitable spark coil 5. In the floor of thehousing 1, I provide a depression or opening in which is seated a panbody 6, the latter having its upper surface flush with the floor of thehousing and perforated as indicated at 7.

8 represents a metal pin or bolt which passes through the upper portionof the rear wall of the housing 1 and the inner end of which has securedthereto one end of a wire 9, the latter being of considerable length andwhen not under tension being in the nature of a spring coil such as isillustrated in'dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The wire 9 passesloosely through a central tube 10 of a metallic body 10 which may be ofany desired outline, but which preferably is of a substantially ballform. In the drawing, this body is shown with a flattened rear or upperside portion and has the greater portion of its surface covered with anabsorbent though non -inflammable material such as asbestos fiber whichis indicated at 11. As shown in the drawing, the outer end of the wire 9is connected with a comparatively short section of cord 12, the latterbeing connected with a post, pin or other suitable fixed body 13 locatedat a considerable distance below and in front of the housing. In makingthe connection between the wire 9 and cord section 12, I preferablyproduce a hook-like termination 9 in said wire, into engagement withwhich said cord is looped, the rearwardly turned end of the hook beingcased in one end of a sleeve 13 which surrounds the wire adjacent to theouter end of the cord. When the wire is thus stretched between the post13 and the inner end of the bolt 8, it presents as shown in full lines,a substantially straight line of wire.

The body 10 is normally supported on the wire in the upper and inner endportion of the housing, through the medium of a cord 14, the centralportion of which engages a notched lug 10 at the front of the body 10and the ends of which are secured to the side walls of the housing.

Supported from the upper side of the housing, is a fuel tank orreservoir 15 from the lower portion of which an outlet conduit 16 leadsto a chamber 17, from the bottom of which lead through the upper side ofthe housing and its lining immediately over the suspended body 10, thedesired number of discharge nozzles 18. As shown, the conduit 16 isintercepted by a suitable rotary valve 19. With the handle of this valvewhich is shown at 19 may be connected one end of an operating cord 20which passing through an eyepiece 21 proj ecting from the tank 15,extends downward over one side of the housing 1.

As shown in the drawing, the battery cells 1 are connected in the usualmanner, and one pole of one of the outer cells, is connected through themedium of a wire 22 with one of the contact points of a circuit closingbutton or switch 23. The remaining contact point of this button orswitch, is through a wire 24 connected with one post of the spark coil5. The opposing post of this sparkcoil is connected through the wire 25,with the proper pole of the other outer battery cell. This wire 25 hasleading therefrom a wire 26, which connects with the bolt 28. From apost at the forward end of the spark coil leads a wire 27, the

remaining end of which is connected with a, metallic plug or pin 28which passes through one side of the housing 1 and which on the normallysupported in the upper portion inner side of said housing has pivotallycon nected therewith a swinging metallic arm 29, the inner end of which1s adapted to be,

means for supplying an inflammable subswung into close proximity withthe body 10.

The manner of utilizing my invention to produce the effect set forth inthe opening paragraph of this specification, is as follows: Assumingthat the parts are in the positions indicated in full lines in Figs. 1and 2 of the drawing, and that the tank or reservoir 15 is filled withalcohol or other similar inflammable fluid, the valve 19 is moved to theopen position by pulling downward on the cord 20, thus permitting thefluid to descend through the nozzles 18 on to the material which coversthe body 10. IVhen this covering is sufliciently saturated, the closingof the electric circuit through the batteries and spark coil, which isaccomplished by operating the button or switch 23, results through theconnections heretofore described in electrically charging the bolt 8,wire 9 and the metallic body 10 and in also charging the swinging arm29, thereby causing an electric spark to form between the end of saidarm 29 and the metallic body 10. The formation of this spark results inthe alcohol with which the covering of the body 10 is saturated, beingignited and the flame thus produced operates to burn through the cord 11, thereby releasing the body 10 and permitting the latter to sliderapidly downward onthe wire over the sleeve 13 and on to the cordsection 12 until it contacts with the post or other body 5 13.. It isobvious that the flame from said body, will ignite and burn through thecord 12, thus permitting the wire '9 to contract into its normal coiledform, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. l.

It will be understood that when the above described operation is carriedout in a darkened or semi-darkened room, the effect on the eye of theobserver will be that of a ball of fire descending through space fromabove.

It is obvious that the flame on the fire carrying body 10 may beutilized when the body has completed its downward movement, in ignitingconveniently placed inflammable material such as material for producingcolored fire lights etc., thus adding to the'scenic effect produced.

It .will be understood that the pan-like body 6 in the bottom of thehousing is de signed to catch and hold liquid drippings from the body10.

WVhat I claim, is:

1. In a mechanism of the character de- Scribed, the combination with awire having its ends secured at points one above the other, of a bodyslidably'mounted on said wire and thereof, a covering for said bodycomprising an absorbent and non-inflammable material,

stance to said covering, means for igniting said substance, and meansfor releasing said body from its normal positionwhereby it is permittedto slide downward on the wire.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with awire having its ends secured at points one above the other, a bodyslida'bly mounted .on said wire and having a covering of absorbentnon-inflammable material, means for supplying an inflammable substanceto said covering, a support for said ball composed of inflammablematerial, and means for igniting the said inflammable substance.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination .with anormally coiled wire, means for supporting said wire in a straight linebetween upper and lower fastening points and a section of inflammablecord interposed in said line, of a body adapted to receive aninflammable substance mounted to slide on said wire, means for supplyingan inflammable substance to said body, an inflammable cord normallyholding said body on the upper portion of the wire, and means forigniting said inflammable substance.

4-. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with awire having its ends secured at points one above the other, means forsupporting said wire in a straight line between upper and lowerfastening points and a section of inflammable cord interposed in saidline, of a fuel receiving body, said body mounted to slide on'said wire,readily destructible means for normally supporting said body in theupper portion of said wire, means for supplying an inflammable fluid tosaid body, and means for creating an electric spark adjacent to saidbody.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DE IVITT H. LEAS.

\Vitnesses C. C. SHEPHERD, L. CARL S'roUcHroN.

